Day 145
Miami, USA
You know the expression "ton of bricks"...well.....today thats how it hit me. As I read the comments following my announcement that we were back in The States, I burst into tears. "Say it isn't so!" said Shannon.....I wish I could.
Don't get me wrong....I don't feel sorry for us. God knows we have had more than most ever dream of. I will never be able to put into words how much this time has meant to us as a family and to each of us individulaly.
I say with confidence that The Herald Family travels well together. The three of us have always been bonded and now we share not only this special experience, but the knowledge that five months of living in a 100 square foot room, moving on average every three days, figuring out A to B, getting through the fun and the scary......is all something we can do together.....and most importantly have it unite us in a way that makes me so very proud of my boys. I am forever grateful for the chance, the lesson, the adventure.
However, I believe it impossible for me not to be sad as we all are when something wonderful is over.
Anyhow.....back to blogging!
After two wonderful nights hanging out with Taylor, Amy, and their two sons in their beautiful old Miami home we headed to surprise my Grandma.
Bryce wanted to run in and yell "surprise!" as loud as possible.
But, seeing as she is a 95 year old woman with cancer......I decided that might be a bad idea. We wanted to visit....not give her a heart attack. So we went with the less intense version of simply walking into her living room. She was of course, thrilled and we got to spend a lovely afternoon chatting with her and my aunt Maureen. My father's siblings Patti and Marty showed up for dinner and it just felt nice to be around family.
We are staying at Patti's house and she is much to hospitable and generous for words.
My parents get here tomorrow........and then we are off on one last adventure. Don't give up on us yet!

Day 144
Miami, USA

Yes.....its true. I report with great regret that we have returned to the good old USA. After 15 hours of flying...nearly 20 hours of tiring travel we arrived at US customs and imigration. On our native soil for the first time in five months.
When I first announced we were leaving, I told you there were two things that would bring us home:

A. We were ready;

We were not. We desperately wanted to see far Northern Brazil and Columbia. We were perfectly comfortable with our vagabond lifestyle and had gotten use to the packing, moving, and changing. We missed a few things.....but not enough to want our wonderful adventure to end.

B. We were out of money;
Well....close....but not quite.

So...why are we here?? To be honest, no matter how hard I fought it.....I just could not rid myself the responisiblity inside of me. And when my office starting putting the pressure on for me to come home.....we decided we had to heed the call to our old lives.
When I told Bryce we were going home he said "Yeah!" I don't think he quite understands what all that means and how much he will miss our adventure. He will probably say hi to all his friends and then want to go right back.
We are now spending a couple of nights with our friends Taylor and Amy in Miami. As far as I am concerned.....we are still on the trip.....I have never been to Miami!
Soon we will head t visit my Grandma just North of here.....and then....we have a dew ideas in the works!!!!
So.......keep reading. I hate a book with an obrupt ending! And we still have a few surprises in store.

P.S.
I never answered Heather's question about how much The Iberostar cost....because its just too embarrasing to admit it.
Lets just say....Bryce better get a scholarship for college!

Day 142

Rio, Brazil

Why back to Rio?? Well...that is where the flights go.

We are staying in town this time and having a great amount of fun. Our book says one of the best experiences in the world is to "be the boy or girl from Ipanema"....so today that is what we did. We layed on the beach and soaked up the sun. It is really fantastic to have this huge, beautiful beach right in the heart of the city. Like nowhere else I have ever experienced. Its a lot of fun, if you don't mind the hoards of hawkers coming by to sell, drinks, clothes, jewlery, tattoos, food......we actually don't. We find it more charming than annoying. Plus...you never have to leave your beach chair. Everything just comes to you!

We also had the pleasure today of having lunch with Vern Herald's (Rich's Dad) college roommate! He is Brazillian and moved back to Rio over 30 years ago.....Through our driver here in Rio we looked him up and ionvited him to lunch. We thought this picture might be a lot of fun for Vern.

However, so far my favorite Rio experience was last night.

Rich and I got a sitter and went to dinner at The Copacabana Palace. Best food we have ever had! And the restaruant is beautiful, the service perfect, the atmosphere almost a trip back in time. I felt like Bridgette Bordeau in the 1920s. It was pure ellegance personified.

Days 137 to 140
Praia do Forte, Brazil
I wanted to head to this area North of Salvador because it is famous for Turtles. We love turtles....for those of you who don´t know....Rich and I were engaged on the beach in Australia on a night baby sea turtles were hatching and running for the ocean in the moonlight all around us. We have told Bryce the stories and he always gets angry...."I can´t believe you didn´t take me!" he says. The whole "You did not exist yet" thing does not seem to be a good enough excuse to satisfy......so I figured this was my chance to make it up to him.
I had read a magazine article about a new hotel here called The Iberostar. The magazine was in Pourtuguese.....so I did not understand it, but the photos looked great! I checked it out online.....no info......but I´m game....lets give it a try.
We should have known the moment we pulled up to the huge entry gates with the security guards with headsets, that this was not the hotel for us. Security guards with headsets might as well be men wearing t-shirts that say "You can not afford this." But, hell....we were here and now I wanted to at least see it.
Driving through the palms on the 3 mile drive to the hotel it became more and more obvious that my initial assessment was correct.......this place was bigger and more beautiful than the Taj Majal. Fountains everywhere, men in golf carts, colorful arched buildings in every direction.
Our cab pulled up and I walked into the lobby to "ask" about prices. The front desk told me.....I turned to tell Rich and Bryce to get back into the cab....but there was a problem.
Bryce was standing with stars in his eyes as a pretty receptionist explained to him the: kids club, kids pool, kids theatre, kids golf, kids competitions, ice cream parlor....need I go on. I turned the other way and Rich was watching the Gucci clad models go by while signaling the doorman to get our bags out of the car.
So....Welcome to the Iberostar!
I had most certainly be foiled!
"Two nights!" I told them.

I write to you on night number 4. Okay, Okay....I got hooked too. The beautiful ocean view roon, the big king size bed, the free margaritas and frosty pineapple drinks. Plus they have bingo everyday at 4. I love Bingo.
Ah yes.... The Iberostar. Or as I like to call it Club Med on Crack. This place never stops moving.
Rich has become the MVP on the water basketball team and he actually won the riffelry turnament.
Produce Broker my butt! He must have secretly been a CIA agent.
And Bryce.....Bryce who???? I have barely seen him since we checked in! He runs to kids club every morning after breakfast and then we hunt him down around 9:30 pm to put him to bed.
Last night however we were encouraged to go to the theatre right after dinner where we were thrilled to see our little bug staring in the mini club version of High School Musical.
Thanks Heather!....she´ll know what I mean.
After the show, Bryce told me "They always want me to perform....and sometimes they don´t even say please."
Ahhh...how quickly a star becomes a prima donna!
Yesterday we did manage to extract ourselves and Bryce from the hotel grounds long enough to go find what we came for......Turtles.We went to the Tamar Projecto Turtles. The largest sea turtle rescue project in the world. It was wonderful.....like a huge aquarium on the beach. They had tuns of pools of rescued adult turtles, pools of newly born and yet to be released babies and even "touch pools" where you culd stick your hands in and feel turtles, sting rays and various fish. Despite all the complaining to get Bryce out of the hotel.....he loved it.

They are such facinating and majestic creatures. I always find them so peaceful.
My book calls the project "Disneyfied"...which I assume is mean to be an insult....but I don´t really care what it take to bring awareness to the plight of this endangered species....I thought the project did an excellent ob of teaching both children and adults about this fabulous lifeform.
We also took a nice long stroll around town to do some shopping. Praia do Forte is a beautiful little village with great shops, restaurants, playgounds.....and Bryce´s need t0 make a city worthwild....tree to climb.
Overall....we have had a fabulous stay. A bit commercialized and probably more pampering and activity than we needed. But, its been fun. And fun its ultimately what it is all about.

Ok....no time to blog right now.....but MOM...I just read your comments! Wow....I guess that could have been Sao Paulo or Montevideo.....plenty of anti-Bush stuff both places.
No worries here in Praia do Forte....we are perfectly safe. No riots. Just a front desk woman who hates me.
I asked her why we could not get towels after 5pm and her answer was "Well....we don´t get many Americans here."
Probably makes no sense to you.....but to me the meaning was quite clear! I laughed the whole way back to my room! Its my favorite comment of the whole trip.
I´ll blog later.
Love,
Bets

Day 134
Maru Penninsula, Brazil
A lazy day. Not really an option to be too energetic here. We saundered down the beach this morning to the point where we found a comfy little beach bar clad with loung chairs and pillows. We spent the day there chatting with other vacationers, swimming, reading, and dining on typical Bahian foods. Bahia (this state of Brazil) is famous for very distinct and flavorful food. My favorite was the fried cheese they heat over coals on the beach and then douse in lemon. Bryce enjoys the fried meat and falafel balls and Rich dives into the ginger coconut shrimp. All these foods are served by vendors that walk up and down the beach with their fresh wears and then cook it up in a pan in the sand when you are ready.
It was quite lovely.
Rich got up the stamina to go diving with a guy from Sao Paulo he had gotten friendly with at the pousada. He had a great time. However the best part was watching Bryce get excited about the fact that HIS Dad was a real diver! He helped him get on all his equipment and check his guages. He can´t wait to be old enough to go with.
Being too young, instead he made friends with a boy from Argentina. I think he was happy to find a child who spoke Spanish instead of Portugese! His spanish can right back.....I was impressed.
We headed back to the pousada just in time for our Thai massage under a thatched tent next to the water. Oh...life is tough.
At night, Rich and I laid under the moonlight in beach loungers staring at the stars.
I mentioned my "bed" dream to him. He just laughed.
So, I asked him "Don´t you miss anything from home?"
During his quiet thinking process......I listened to the waves tumble onto the shore. I felt the warm breeze and watched the palms sway above us. I took a sip of my wine.
He smiled at me and said "No."

Hey Guys! Thanks for all the comments last time! Made my day. Sorry I have been away for a few days....but we were in the land of no internet.
I will have everything caught up by tomorrow and I will post Maru Penninsula pics as soon as I can figure out how! This computer is funky. :)

Day 133
Morro to Valencia
Valencia to Camamu
Camamu to Maru Penninsula
Maru Penninsula to Barra Grange
ALL BRAZIL
Ahhhh...."travel days" as we call them are never my favorites....but none the less, always an adventure.
This morning we got up early to bid farewell to the lovely Hotel Anima and the Island of Morro. Once again we were forced out not because we wanted to leave....but because we had run out of money. We, born of the easy ATM society....do not learn quickly. And, when the cash is gone...we must head to more modernized locals. Or at least stop by them on our way to even less modernized havens.
So we took the 30 minute bumpy road to the 20 minute smooth and lovely ferry, to the two hour car ride.....to the second ferry....not so smooth.
Yes, I am sorry, I have once again embarassed the American people. You see, we waited over an hour for the ferry until we finally realized "the ferry" was that tiny speed boat that had been waiting at the dock the entire time.
"Why couldn´t we just leave?" asked Rich.
The answer came all too quickly as we realized they were waiting for more people. They loaded 8 tourists, one captain, and about 300 pounds of lugguage into the tiny speedboat, clearly marked on the side, in english, CAPACITY 4 PEOPLE. Maybe the problem being these people do not speak English.
So here is the part where I embarassed you.....
We only got about 5 feet from the dock before it became clear that not only were we hanging over the sides, but it was to be a bumpy ride.
So with all my american blooded gusto, I announced the boat would go no further until Bryce was wearing a life jacket.
All the Argentines onboard cracked up and made comments about overly paranoid Americans....but I did not care. He is my son...his life is my responsibility and pride does not play a part in that.
So..back to the dock we went.....Bryce got a life jacket....and 40 minutes later we arrived on the tip of the Maru Penninsula.
The best way I can describe it is to say.....imagine if there were no roads to P-town on the tip of Cape Cod. Just gorgeous, stunning beaches and a few small B&Bs. No restaruants, no shops. Simply water, sand and sun. Plus a guy who meets you at the dock with cold coconuts.
Another 45 minute truck ride over an even bumpier road brought us to Encantado Du Lua, our home for the next two nights. It was simple and small......but how can one be too unhappy when the waves are lapping at the shore and the sun is starting to slip into the ocean.
Though.....I have an admission to make: I woke up with a start in the middle of the night. I thought I had had a nighmare...but quickly acknowledged I had been dreaming about my bed. As I call it "my princess in the pea bed." My $10,000 bed. (Yes..remember...we had money once.)
Oh....how I love the pillow top matress and down pillows. 2000 thread count sheets and silk comforter. I felt the thin, lumpy pillow beneath my head and smelled the dampness of sheets left near the ocean too long. Could it be I missed home?
Not enough not to happily fall back asleep and wake up to the birds chirping out my window.

Day 132

Morro Sao Paulo, Brazil

Still Here! Today we took the attitude of "If you cant beat them, join them." You see, one of the few difficulties of the trip lately has been the frustration of the slow, lazy lifestyle of the Brazillians. These people just do not move fast.....and we are Americans....its hard to become accustomed to.

But, today....we tried it their way.

Early in the day we sat ourselves down at a beach restaurant.......and we stayed until high tide washed the place away.

Its not so bad!

What else can I say....thats all she wrote.

Day 131

Morro Sao Paulo, Brazil

Okay, okay....we were suppose to leave two days ago....but its just sooooo nice here! We have lost all motivation and if we do not find some inspiration soon.....someone might have to come and fetch us! Any volunteers??????

Anyway....last night was incredible. Originally we had intended to go into town for dinner, but our lazy bones voted for the mellow tranquility of our pousada instead. Quiet music on the surround sound, ocean breezes, great food and the super smiley waiter who does not speak a lick of English.....how can you resist.

In the middle of dinner, Phillipe came running over shouting "Go to the beach!"

We are foreign....so we listen....and along with the only two other dinners (honeymooners from Italy) we scurried to the beach.

There, in all its glory, was a full red moon. And as we stood in wonder the shadow began to slowly slide its way across until we had a 3/4 eclipse. Amazingly, I have never seen an eclipse before. This was not a bad one to start with. So serene, so peaceful, jazz sang in the background as we all sat in wonder letting our food get cold.

This morning we decided we wanted to go snorkling. Phillipe said there was a good spot, but it was a little far. He could provide us transportation. On Morro.....this is transportation.

But, even the horses could only take us for far before the mangroves overtook our path and we had to rely on our own feet.

Through the mangroves and across low tide on a wet and rocky coral reef. This prooved to be a bit of a wardrobe problem........You see, for the horseback ride, I had worn the only pair of decent shoes I have not shipped home or simply disgarded. These were my black suede Merril sneakers.

I laughed to myself.....in my former life "wrong shoes" meant that the particular shade of gold just did not accent the dress very well. Today, it meant very water logged feet that were an effort to pick up again and again across rocky terrain!

I guess combining horseback ridding with snorkling can be akin to going out clubbing straight after work: You are bound to be dressed inappropriately for one or the other!

Through much effort, we made it to the spot.......too bad there were no fish!

But, the adventure was fun. As parents, Rich and I just delight in watching Bryce explore his world. We stopped for every crab, shell, or leaf along the way!

Day 130

Morro Sao Paulo, Brazil

One thing we have learned is the only thing that can make a beautiful place better is beautiful people. So, we woke up happy this morning after having a lovely dinner last night with three friends we met on the Ferry. Mother, Father, and daughter, from Arizona joined us for dinner and excellent conversation was had for hours under the stars. A beautiful night made more special by the interesting people we meet.

Empowered, we decided to go exploring today....to The Other Side of The Island.

Phillipe, the owner of our Pousada had told us there were "mud people" there and we needed to see that!

So...down the road, past town, under the arches, through the jungle, and along the beach we went. After about two hours of walking the deserted beach on a Robinson and Curuseo style hunt...we started to think Phillipe might be pulling our leg......but then we found them. They are not hard to spot. 10 to 15 Brazillians and tourists alike smearing themselves with mud pouring off towering cliffs that surrounded the beach. As you can imagine, it did not take long for us to decide we wanted to be mud people too! With a little help we went about cherrily covering ourselves from head to toe, loving the amusement of it all. Bryce of course thought it was wonderful. I mean, come on, how often do your parents encourage you to cover yourself in dirt??? And talk about exfoliation! Our skin was so soft Bryce kept insisting for the rest of the day "Just touch me. I´m soft like a kitty." They could make a fortune with this stuff at a NY salon. I only wish little Kayla could have been there.

PINK MUD! What could make a little girl happier! After a quick rinse in the warm ocean we headed off to explore a little more of our deserted beach. But, much to our shock....around the next corner....it was no longer deserted. We had happened upon Monkey Beach, a huge beach bar and restaurant with music and food that takes about 2 hours to arrive at your table.....ohh Brazil. So we stayed a few hours hanging out in the sun and then hitched a ride home on a passing fishing boat. Even in my relaxed state the decrepid fishing boat ( I thought we were going under when Rich climbed aboard) may have made me nervous, except for the fact that the Captain also seemed to know his vessel was on the verge of sinking, and hugged so close to the shoreline, had we actually gone down....even Bryce would have been able to swim ashore.

Day 129
The Island of Morro De Sao Paulo, Brazil
Just when we were starting to think that beaches in Brazil were swarming masses of colorful bodies where it was near impossible to find a place to lay your towel.......we found this: It turns out....you just have to work for it. First, take a two hour flight to Salvador. Next, crowd onto the two hour ferry to The Island of Morro. When you get off the ferry, you will quickly realize there are no cars. Probably a result of the fact that there are no streets. So, as a solution to the luggage problem, guys with wheel barrels line the port and load up your stuff. You then do your best to follow them down the narrow sand alleyways through town, across two beaches and finally up a cobblestone road. Here a huge Hummer greets you to take you 30 more minutes into the trees. Then and only then.....will you be graced with the words "Welcome to Hotel Anima."

If you are looking at the pictures......you know its worth it.

However, today after a relaxing morning....we decided to check out the rest of the island.

The Island is made up of four parts.

Town: which is found along 1st beach is a charming and eclectic mix of artist shops, cafes, clothing boutiques, and various tourist huts.

We had a great time here strolling, shopping, and having lunch. To our pleasant surprise, Morro does not seem to subscribe to the Brazillian obsession with fried food and we found an excellent organic restaurant where we dinned on fresh fruit crepes and avacado salad.

Next is Second Beach: This is the hip beach spot. Filled with lazy loungers and beach huts serving fruit drinks and various sweet liquor contraptions....this is the place to be if you want to party. Bryce quickly made friends here.

Third Beach gets a bit quieter......this is where you find the bigger more glamorous pousadas and higher-end restaurants.

I made a friend here:

On the final 4th beach....is us. Just our lovely little pousada with a world class restaurant, pool, and nine stylish bungalows sitting on a deserted beach where you could sit for hours without seeing a single soul.

If you ever wished you could have gone to The Caribbean before big hotels and shanty towns. If you ever wished you could choose to sit on a coconut lined beach by yourself or chat with the locals under the stars while eating gourmet food. If you ever wanted to dip your toes into crystal clear water and listen to drumbeats from the tikibar......Morro De Sao Paulo is for you. I know its for us!

Day 128
Salvador, Brazil
Back on our own. We were very sad to see the Hardy´s go....it was so nice to share our adventure again with people we love. As for the last week, Thank you to Heather for booking and planning it all. We had a great time and are so happy for all we got to see and do in Rio. It is a facinating city of dicatomys that will live with us forever.
Salvador is another huge city (two hours flight North) but VERY different. Salvador is known as the cultural and historic center of Brazil and it is easy to see where it gains this distinction. The buildings here are old and colorful, the beaches full of dark colored Brazillians decended from African slaves and retaining much of their unique allure. It makes you feel a bit like the creole influence you would see in New Orleans.
We only had 14 hours in Salvador.....and 7 of them we were sleeping.....but in typical Herald style we packed in the other seven.
We went to visit two 1700´s Forts, one where they still set off the cannons everyday, we walked the streets shopping for the famous Salvadorian textiles, and had lunch on the crowded beach.
Lunch was the most interesting part of the day. Not wanting to sit around in a restaurant.....we decided to chance it on a famous Bahian street food called Acaraje. Its basically peas and corn turned into paste, deep fried, and then stuffed with lentils, tomatoes, and shrimp (sin shrimp for me). Its VERY tasty....but the interesting part is that the Salvadorians so value this famous food that they have made laws to protect it!
No restaurant, cafe or hotel is allowed to sell this particular food. It may only be sold by women on the street. These women need a license. To obtain this license they must go before a board of directors for the union and submit their receipe for apporval. The license can then be handed down from mother or grandmother to daughter as long as the receipe is not changed. The women who cook and sell the Acaraje all wear traditional flowing skirts and turbans on their heads. I find the whole tradition to be quite beautiful.....which maybe makes the food taste even better. We topped them off with cold, fresh coconut water drank through a staw right from the coconut itself.